A method at a network node of a radio access network (RAN) for managing a context of a user equipment (UE) operating in an inactive mode, the method comprising: receiving, from a second network node, a context retrieval request comprising a UE identifier and a first message, the first message being protected with a first cryptographic key; validating the first message using a stored cryptographic key associated with a UE context indicated by the UE identifier; and sending a context retrieval response message to the second network node containing a relocation indication of whether the UE context is to be relocated to the second network node.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The anchor node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the response message is responsive to said validating the first message using the stored cryptographic key.
3. The anchor node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the response message is responsive to said determining whether to relocate the UE context to the second network node.
4. The anchor node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second message is a radio resource control (RRC) message.
6. The anchor node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the response message comprises the UE context and another cryptographic key when the response message is indicative that that the UE context is being relocated to the second network node.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the response message is responsive to said validating the first message using the stored cryptographic key.
9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the response message is responsive to said determining whether to relocate the UE context to the second network node.
10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second message is a radio resource control (RRC) message.
12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the response message comprises the UE context and another cryptographic key when the response message is indicative that that the UE context is being relocated to the second network node.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 7, 2021
June 13, 2023
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